Vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor to diagnose lymph node metastasis in patients with oral cancer

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Objective. To evaluate the clinical usefulness of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).Methods. Preoperative serum values of VEGF family (VEGF-A,-C, and -D) and their receptor (sVEGF-R1,sVEGF-R2) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 129 patients with fresh primary oral SCCs. The relationship among VEGF family, clinicopathological parameters, response to therapy and prognosis was investigated.Results. Serum VEGF-A,-C, and -D levels were significantly higher in patients with OSCC than in the healthy control, but both sVEGF-R1 and sVFGF-R2 were not. On the basis of comparision to the 95% range of distribution of serum VEGF family titers in healthy control subjects, the positivity rates of VEGF-A,-C and -D were 41, 31, and 57%, respectively. The serum level of VEGF-A correlated significantly with sex, tumor size and Stage. VEGF-C concentration correlated significantly with distant metastasis, but not with lymph node metastasis. The VEGF-C positive group showed a significantly lower 5-year survival rate than the VEGF-C negative group (63.2% vs. 83.5%, p<0.05). The level of VEGF-D negative correlated with lymph node metastasis and mode of invasion. Moreover, we examined expression of VEGF-C,Flt-4,CD34,CD31 and D2-40 for 24 gingival cancers by immunohistochemistry. Both expressions of VEGF-C and Flt-4 did not correlated with lymph node metastasis. There was no relationship between immunohistochemical and serological methods.Conclusion. The serum level of VEGF-C might have potential usefulness as biological marker of OSCC, but it is necessary to confirm relationship between immunohistochemical and serological methods by a larger scale study